From House to Home and Everything In Between

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Who Was At The Front Door?

I was over at Mama Kat's writers workshop because, let's face it, I'm as much of a slacker blogger as I am a housekeeper, DIYer, etc. Which is to say I am a bad, bad slacker blogger. We all have stories to share, though. It's just that when you sit down to blog you are not face to face with someone in a conversation. So sometimes you just don't think about certain stories. Mama Kat's prompts help you think of your stories.

The one I chose today is:

Who was at your front door?

I'll start the day before the door. I was sitting outside with a friend. She was one of those friends who wasn't really a friend - she didn't like me, I could tell. But she sort of tolerated me because our husbands were good friends. But on this day she was really my friend. Sometimes that happens, you know? Someone just has a true change of heart. I think when people get to know you, they love you.

Anyway this day we were sitting out together and I was at the lowest point. My heart was shattered and I was truly lost. I didn't know what I would do. I always felt like I was broken, but on this day? I was at a whole new depth of despair. I wasn't ready for it. I was young - 21 years old. I had two little daughters. And I did not know what tomorrow was going to be for me. My life was suddenly a swamp and I was in quicksand up to my neck. The particulars of why I was at such a low no longer really matter. What is relevant is the pain, confusion, and fear I was feeling. They were all I was feeling. As we sat talking I said to her "I just wish someone I don't know who doesn't know me would walk up to me and say 'This is what you need to do'. Because I really do not know what to do."

I cried, I washed my face, I fed my kids, I bathed them and played with them and changed diapers and did all the mom stuff you have to do in any given day. Finally the relief of darkness came and I put them to bed. I put myself to bed. I woke up in the morning to a knock at the door.

Two young women, standing in my door in the bright sunshine. Two young women from a church, standing there early on a weekday morning. Two young women who did not know anything about me. Two young women I did not know. They were there to help me find my way because I was lost. They were there to tell me what to do.

I told them about the conversation I had with my friend the day before. The three of us stood in the door and wept.

*One of them, whose name I still remember, was Leah Stratton. The other name I can not remember right now but I can still see her face. Should out to Leah if you ever google yourself! Hi! I miss you! Her husband was named Willis Stratton. She had three lovely children.